Virile: Sultan Moulay Ismaïl led Morocco from 1672 to 1727 and theoretically could have sired over 1,000 children as rumoured

Sultan Moulay Ismaïl is known as a warrior as well as a the world's most prolific father.

The Moroccan ruler, who led the country from 1672 to 1727 is rumoured to have sired over 1,000 children.

And while this might seem unlikely, scientists have worked out that it is theoretically possible, if the leader had sex once a day - for 32 years straight.

According to computer simulations, the amorous leader, who was the first sultan of the Moroccan Alaouite dynasty which is still the royal house of Morocco, could have set the record for the greatest number of children fathered by anyone throughout history.

The historical ruler holds the title in the Guinness Book of World Records, which says that he fathered 888 children.

But a French diplomat called Dominique Busnot who visited Morocco at the time, wrote that sultan Ismaïl had 1,171 children by 1704, as well as four wives and 500 concubines, LiveScience reported.

Scientists have previously dismissed the number of children as highly unlikely as women are only fertile for a few days every month.

A team of scientists from the University of Vienna created computer simulations to explore how many times sultan Ismail would have had to have had sex to be able to father 1,171 children in 32 years.

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Amazingly they found that not only was it possible, he would have had to have sex once a day over the lengthy period.

Anthropologist Elisabeth Oberzaucher, who was lead author of the study published in PLOS One, said: ‘We were as conservative as possible with our calculations and Moulay could still achieve this outcome.’

Scientists from the University of Vienna created computer simulations to explore how many times sultan Ismail would have had to have sex every day to be able to father 1,171 children in 32 years - and they found the answer was approximately once. A painting showing the sultan meeting a French ambassador is pictured

SULTAN MOULAY ISMAIL - THE FEARSOME RULER OF MOROCCO

Moulay Ismaïl is noted as one of the greatest figures in Moroccan history.

He fought the Ottoman Turks in 1679, 1682 and 1695/96. After these battles the Moroccan independence was respected.

The ruler also liberated several seaports occupied from Spain and Britain.

He is thought to have used 25,000 slaves for the construction of the capital in Meknes and displayed thousands of heads of slain rivals at the beginning of his reign.

He ruled until the age of 80 and is said to have fathered 888 children in his time - although there are reports of 1,171 children.

A number of different conception models were created. One model assumed the menstrual cycles of women did not synchronise, while another assumed they could and the quality of sultan Ismail’s sperm was also taken into account as well as how he aged.

The study said that the ruler would have had to have sex between 0.83 and 1.43 times a day to father so many children in 32 years.

The scientists also said that the rule needs a harem of between 65 and 110 women to do it – not the 500 concubines he is estimated to have had.

However, Dr Oberzaucher noted that the results of the study differed quite a lot depending on which model was used.

While the sultan was free to have sex with different women, any suspicion of adultery by the women was severely punished.

The sultan is said to have personally strangled unfaithful women as well as ordering their breasts to be cut off or their teeth pulled out. Other men who eyed up the women could also be punished by death.

Sultan Ismaïlruled for the longest period of time in Morocco’s history and is remembered as a bloodthirsty warrior.

Reports suggest that he displayed between 400 and 1,000 heads of enemy chiefs and political rivals in the city of Fez at the beginning of this reign and over the next 55 years killed over 30,000 people off the battlefield.

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Sultan Moulay Ismaïl, legendary Moroccan ruler COULD have had 1,100 children